Sinkholes, craters and collapsed roads around the world, in pictures

A huge 20-metre wide (66 ft) sinkhole formed overnight in the yard of a family home in Leshan, southwest China's Sichuan Province in January 2011. Zhang Fengrong said he heard a loud roaring sound coming from outside. When he went to investigate he was stunned to discover the huge pit. He said he and several relatives had tried to measure the depth of the pit using a rope attached to a heavy iron, but after they used up the 40-metre long rope the iron still hadn't hit ground.